Antarctic Travels
by Fast Moving Cloud
Summary: Naruto and Shikamaru are hired by a research team in Antarctica to investigate a strange device recovered from an ancient civilization. ShikaNaru, AU. Rating T for now, may change later. Super-duper in-progress. Rush post because tumblr.
1. Chapter 1

A muffled groan was heard as a certain brunette woke up to the sun happily blinding his eyes as he went to look out the window. Glaring in annoyance, he got out of bed slowly, because going any faster would be troublesome. He yawned, blinking a few times before gathering his things to shower and get ready for the day.

Dressed, and hair kept in a spiky ponytail, Shikamaru Nara was ready for a nice, calming day, complete with cloud watching, meeting up with Ino and Chouji, and playing go or shogi until it was time to go back to sleep. Of course, the lazy-nin wasn't always going to get what he wanted. He was in for some troublesome times ahead, little did he know.

Yawning again, he made his way throughout the house, surveying what was going on. His father was sitting at the table, waiting for his mother to sit down with him. Shikamaru caught his father's gaze and he stopped.

"You going to eat breakfast with us, son?"

Shikamaru nodded, "yeah, I guess so." His father grunted in agreement, and he made to sit down. However, a knock at the door interrupted his progress.

Father and son stared at each other, silently deliberating who would go answer the door. The younger brunette sighed, giving in, and went over to the door to open it. An anbu member greeted his sight, and he sighed. This meant a troublesome mission was for him.

"Shikamaru Nara, you have been summoned to the hokage's office to receive a mission. Please be there in the next fifteen minutes. You have also been ordered to bring Naruto Uzumaki with you." The masked man said formally, before poofing away.

The chuunin groaned internally, then informed his parents of where he was going.

About 10 minutes later, the lazy-nin was standing in front of one Naruto Uzumaki's door. He knocked three times, calling out, "Naruto, we've got a mission. It's a pain, but we gotta go."

The door flew away from him as the blonde ninja grinned cheerily in the brunette's sight.

"Shikamaru?" The blonde said, "do we have a mission? Is it an s-ranked one?" The questions came at him and he groaned. Only Naruto would be excited like this for a mission. "Yeah, we got a mission. I'm here to collect you so we can get briefed by lady Tsunade." He explained, taking in Naruto's appearance. He was dressed in his usual atttire, black and orange pants and jacket, headband shining on his head, and shoes secure on his feet. So he was ready. That made things easier. Shikamaru stuffed his hands in his pockets and asked, "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'm ready all right!" Naruto said confidently.

"All right then, let's go." The jinchuriki nodded enthusiastically and then closed and locked the door behind him.

Hopefully the mission was a simple one. That way he didn't have to put up with the troublesome and reckless blonde for that long. Naruto had a knack of getting himself into trouble, but he didn't deny how much Naruto had grown since they met. He had improved his skills greatly, and he was an asset to the village. Shikamaru mused some more about how the mission would go, but then let his thoughts drift. He would worry about that later once they had gotten the mission details. For now, he focused his attention to the blonde who was chatting away, stars in his eyes talking about how great it was to get a mission after awhile of waiting and sitting idle.

The brunette smiled. Although the blonde was hyperactive and reckless, he had gotten through very tough times. Shikamaru felt drawn towards him. That feeling confused him greatly. He usually felt annoyance towards the blond's usual tendencies aside from missions, but he realized he wanted to pursue his friendship with Naruto further than it had been since he had known him at the academy and throughout their genin days. Maybe he would find a side that no one else knew about the blonde. Maybe he would find something nobody ever expected.

"Oi Shikamaru, what's wrong? Why are you just standing there?" Naruto said, poking him on the nose. Shikamaru blinked a few times and then mumbled an apology, scolding himself for getting lost in his thoughts for so long.

"Let's just get this mission over with." The shadow nin said, and then walked off with the excited blonde trailing him.

* * *

><p>A bored Shikamaru and a jittery blonde stood at the doors of the hokage's office. Four knocks on the door elicited a 'come in' from the woman inside.<p>

Once the door closed behind them, Naruto said his usual 'hey, obaa-san, you look pretty stressed out, dattebayo!' which earned him a steely glare from the fifth. He shrinked back, shortly after mumbling an apology. Naruto watched as the fifth sighed heavily, then looked at the two of them, expectantly. Naruto felt a nudge on his arm, and straightened up to hear the briefing from Tsunade.

"I'd like to start by saying that this mission is a top priority not for just Konoha, but for the rest of the ninja countries, regardless of friendly or hostile ties." The blonde woman paused, eyeing Naruto, who was beaming with excitement. She then continued, "I have received a request for you two to investigate a device uncovered in the country of Antarctica. It apparently resonates with chakra, and has a strange effect on those who have large reserves. I recommend you two to exercise extreme caution, especially because I feel that we aren't being told the full details. I am not sure exactly what those effects are."

Naruto opened his mouth to interject, but Tsunade shut him up with a look. She continued her briefing. "You two may not be aware of this, but since our involvement in the war with the technologically advanced countries, we have integrated technology into our lives, and in exchange ninja have spread to those countries as well. The country and continent of Antarctica has tried to climb higher into the world by building its armies with both ninja and those without chakra capabilities - normal military soldiers. I want you two to decide whether this device poses a threat to us, and if it does, destroy it. They are growing quickly, and I have been informed by our new allies, the United States, and European countries that they do not want another rising world power." She finished.

Naruto was elated. He was going on a super important mission, that was dangerous and he was going to a new continent! He looked over at Shikamaru, who then spoke up.

"So why request us? We're not exactly top class researchers or negotiators for foreign affairs."

"I know. They requested you two specifically by name. You're war heroes, and they want the best of the best to deal with. They won't take anyone else." The Hokage sighed. "There is another concern." She crossed her arms and looked at him, catching his attention. "For the most part, Naruto, your status as a jinchuriki is unheard of outside of the ninja alliance. This is important to keep under wraps, as they would want a power asset like you on their side." She looked at Shikamaru, "Shikamaru. You are one of the most intelligent people I know. I am placing responsibility of keeping Naruto safe on you." Naruto saw the brunette nod in affirmation. "And you, Naruto, are in charge of Shikamaru's safety. You two have each other on the mission. Communications will be brief, and I need to know that you two are committed. Do you both understand?"

Naruto turned to the lazy-nin, and was met with brown eyes. The blonde looked away and saluted the fifth. "You can count on me, grandma! I'll keep Shika safe!"

A weighty punch knocked him slightly off-balance as Shikamaru said, "don't call me Shika, Naruto. It's such a troublesome nickname."

"Itai! That hurt, dattebayo. Are you sure you're gonna protect me?" Naruto asked, eyes getting a little teary for effect.

"Yeah, I'll protect you. The consequences of not doing so would be _such_ a drag."

"Hey!"

"I'm joking, Naruto. Kami, you can be such a drag sometimes."

"You better be joking, lazy ass! I'll make sure I-" Naruto's rant was cut off as Tsunade slammed her fist down on the poor table, putting an unsightly crack in it, and making the two nin jump a bit.

The fifth stood up, raising her voice, "Alright, you too. Cut the goofing off out until the boat. I'm sure you'll have more than enough time to do that there." She handed both of them copies of the mission parameters. "Go collect your things for the mission. Cold weather gear is a necessity. Once you are ready, head south out of the village to the southern port of the Fire country. There will be a boat waiting there for you. I can assume you know what to do from there."

The two scanned the packets now in their hands, and nodded.

"You leave the gates this afternoon at 6:00pm. Dismissed!"

* * *

><p>"Naruto - we've gotta get ready or else the troublesome fifth is gonna yell at us. Let's go." Shikamaru eyed Naruto who was barely containing his excitement.<p>

"Yosha! We're going on a super-duper secret mission! I'm gonna go get my stuff ready right now-" Shikamaru interrupted the blonde's rant to interject, "Oi. Calm down. You can be such a drag sometimes, you know. How about you go pack your stuff, and by the time you're finished, I'll be done packing mine."

"Alright! I'll go right there! Ja ne!" The lazy-nin watched as the hyper blonde scurried off like a burst of sunlight. So now he had to hurry, as the blonde had a head start before him. The whole situation was complicated. Limited information, limited contact, a whole continent away, and a thousand miles of cold water between home and their destination. Not to mention, they had to prevent a billion of things that could go wrong. Troublesome, indeed. Shikamaru shook his head and sighed. Might as well get home and gather his things.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru had barely packed his things when he was tackled to the ground. He grimaced at the pain of falling on the hardwood floor as he looked up at his assailant. It didn't surprise him that it was Naruto, all ready to go.<p>

"Shikamaru! You're so slow at everything. Even packing!" The brunette just glared at him and the blonde promptly shut up. "Sorry." Shikamaru dusted himself off as he climbed off the floor, giving Naruto a hand as well.

"You know, Naruto, you're gonna have to calm the hell down during this mission. I know you haven't been on any particular demanding missions, and frankly, your energy levels are a pain."

"It's not my fault that I have a huge amount of chakra!" Naruto exclaimed, frowning with his hands on his hips.

"As long as you aren't hopping around everywhere, we'll be just fine."

A calmer looking Naruto smiled and nodded. "I'll try my best!"

The brunette lifted his bag up onto his shoulder and gestured to Naruto. "Let's go and get this mission over with."

* * *

><p>Leaving the leaf village, heading South to the boat port that they will get on in the evening. Naruto and Shikamaru discuss their tatctics, and how they're going to act to lessen suspicion that Naruto is an asset and therefore wanted in other countries as a piece in foreign militaries. Reaching the destination, they board the boat and get settled in. They meet the captain and crew of the ship, introducing themselves and looking scouting for information on the company that hired them. Nothing comes up the evening of, so they go to bed, and hope that they can reveal some information later in the journey.<p>

Amber waves of light filtered through the trees overhead Shikamaru and Naruto. The breeze was blowin playfully, shuffling their hair around. The two stood before the large green gates of Konoha. Both were ready, packed with the essentials for the long mission. Naruto turned to Shikamaru, "Think we'll get to meet any cool military leaders at the site?"

"It's possible." The Nara paused. "They are looking to gain status in the world. Who knows who was bought for their alliance. Money is power, you know."

"Yeah, that's true, dattebayo. I hope there aren't any jerks like Sasuke there. He seems like he would come from a cold place like that the way he acts most of the time." Naruto complained, remembering the two's rivalry when there were on team 7.

"Let's hope that the people there have warmer personalities than the land they live on." Naruto agreed with the brunette, and they both set off south for the southern coast.

A few minutes later, Shikamaru spoke up. "Hey, Naruto. I know that you and the Kyuubi had a sort of agreement on working together in the war. Are you still on good terms?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head and said, "I guess. We have a truce going on. But I think Kurama still would love to escape some days." His eyes went glassy for a few seconds, and then refocused. "Yeah, he still gets angry. Unfortunately." The blonde sighed, "Guess we gotta deal with it."

Naruto watched as Shikamaru stuffed his hands in his pockets. He then looked at Naruto as he said, "Ask Kurama if he is familiar with any ancient chakra devices." The blonde did as asked, keeping silent for a good minute and a half. "He said not really. There was a few he came in contact with, but none too significant."

The two became silent again as their footsteps sounded softly on the dirt path. They would have to pick up the pace to get to the boat by nightfall. Naruto followed Shikamaru as he jumped onto the trees. The winds picked up as if they too were hurrying.

* * *

><p>Several hours later, the last few rays of light illuminating the sky began to dwindle into evening. Crickets chirped as Naruto and Shikamaru made the rest of their way towards the now visible vessel. There were lamps aboard the ship showing the crew members preparing to set sail.<p>

Not really paying attention, Naruto almost slammed into Shikamaru's back as the Nara stopped ahead of him. "Naruto." Shikamaru said, reaching into his pocket, "Here's a mic and earpiece so we can communicate." He then handed it to him, their hands brushing softly against each other's. Naruto fought back a blush. If only he wasn't so sappy sometimes. Thankfully, Shikamaru hadn't noticed the dusting on his cheeks. Fastening the equipment properly, they both continued down towards the dock.


	2. Chapter 2

Gentle rocking back and forth along with wood creaking brought the lazy-nin back to consciousness. He felt rested, and at least the sun hadn't let its presence become known like it did yesterday. Shikamaru really didn't want to get up. It was warm in the bunk, but he knew he had to get up eventually. Cursing himself, he slowly made his body sit up. Swinging his head around, he observed that Naruto was still asleep, snoring softly and clutching a pillow. This brought up a smile from Shikamaru, and he slipped on his shoes, ready to get acquainted with the mission parameters.

Still a bit bleary-eyed, he blinked to clear the fogginess from his vision. He sighed, and began reading the papers. 'A page and a half saying that if we mess up, its our fault, and no one's there to help us. Great.' He thought sarcastically, before reading on. His brown orbs scanned through the pages, taking in the variables listed. 'Several world powers, an ancient device that we know next to nothing about,' he paused to look back at the troublesome blonde, 'a hyperactive fox container, and cold ass temperatures.' He confirmed his earlier thoughts that this would be a pain in the ass. He would just have to deal with it, even though it was a drag.

An extended yawn snapped Shikamaru out of his analysis. The 'troublesome blonde' blinked a few times, then closed his eyes, falling asleep again. Shikamaru thought it was time for him to get up. He needed to do work too, as the brunette didn't want to work all on his own. Work smarter, not harder, he supposed. The blonde wasn't totally dumb after all. He set the packet down on the coffee table, and got out of the chair. Now by the side of the bed where Naruto was, he shook Naruto's frame slightly, "Naruto. Come on. Get up, I'm not going to let you sleep in while I do all the work." The blonde frowned in his sleep, drawing his eyebrows together and pursing his lips. Shikamaru, now slightly irritated, shook more vigorously. A hand then grabbed his shoulder and pulled. Shikamaru was taken by surprise and was then caught in a hug against the blonde's chest, who let out a sigh of contentment.

"Huh? What's going on?" Naruto let out, as the new warmth in his arms was disturbing his sleep, moving slightly.

"You pulled me into a bear hug, that's what." Shikamaru remarked, still struggling against Naruto's grip on him. The brunette realized that they were pretty close to one another, Shikamaru's arms pinned at his sides, and chest flush against the blonde's. A dusting of pink flashed across his face, as he looked up to Naruto looking down at him. Naruto's confused blue's met Shikamaru's irritated ones. "Ehh? Shikamaru?"

"Yeah."

"Why are we like this?"

"I literally just explained this. You're the one who pulled me into this hug."

"Really."

"Yes." He said, waiting until it clicked in the blonde's mind. "Now could you let go of me now?" Naruto's eyes widened, and he let go of Shikamaru, who was grateful for the release. Naruto rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment before saying "Sorry about that. I tend to get clingy when I feel safe." The blonde apologized. Shikamaru nodded, hands now in his pockets. "It's fine. Just don't get in the habit of doing it, okay? It's a drag being stuck like that."

The shadow nin's cheeks were now back to their normal color. A rap on the door brought the duo's attention. A well muscled man opened the door, wearing a heavy coat above a utility overall, complete with rubber boots. His blue eyes shifted back and forth from Naruto to Shikamaru, and then spoke. "The captain wishes to speak to you two. Follow me." He then waited for the two ninja to get up, and as soon as Naruto put on his winter boots, he followed Shikamaru and the brown-haired man to the captain's room. It was still grey and morose outside, as the clouds were hanging low on the sky, the sun illuminating the emptiness of the place they were at the moment. The open seas surrounding them were slightly agitated, spraying foam and salty brine on the decks as the ship made its course due south.

Having arrived at the captain's lookout, they turned the handle, it giving a loud screech in protest. A wave of heat passed the two by as Shikamaru and Naruto went to lean against the counter of the cramped space. The room was made for only a few people to be in there at a time, unfortunately for the captain, his second-in-command, and the two ninja hired. Heaving himself up from the cushy workstation he was situated at, the so-called "captain" turned and faced them. Shikamaru felt relieved at the guy's face. He looked like he worked long hours to keep his crew motivated, and had a kind looking face. 'But then again, we still got to be on our guard. Anything could happen.' Shikamaru glanced at Naruto, who was tapping his foot on the floor, contemplating when he would get to eat his precious ramen.

"Hey - you gonna explain to them or what?" Their guide spouted, giving an air of impatience at his superior.

"Yes, Jamie. I was just going to do that, until you opened your mouth."

"Well, you know you could have just went to talk to them yourself without getting me involved." Jamie said, crossing his arms in annoyance.

"You're my younger brother. I need people to do the mundane work. I'm the captain, remember?" Said captain tipped his hat, giving a grin to the two shinobi.

A silence ensued as soon as the captain finished his small schpeal. "Ahh. I suppose an introduction is due." He went to shake the two ninja's hands, and the handshake was reciprocated. "My name is John. This is my brother Jamie, my lovely assistant -" John received a sharp glare from his brother before editing his words, "and second-in-command." Jamie nodded in acceptance, as John then continued. "We're on course and on time to arrive to the Northern Antarctic port in around five days." He explained, making eye contact with the two before adding, "Here's a few tips for when you get to the port. Be on time for the truck that picks you up. If you aren't there, they'll leave you in the cold. No questions asked. The leader there is a woman. Blonde and tiny. She packs quite the punch, however."

"So you heard any stories at the dig site?" Shikamaru asked, crossing his arms.

Recognition flashed in John's eyes. "Yes, actually. Apparently, that big fancy device they're digging up is messing up some of the worker's up. They feel sick or somethin'. Can't stand working near it too long, so they take shifts with each other. I guess they got ninja folk like you working alongside the normal guys from up north too." This confirmed the information in the packet they received; Their intel was right, and something wasn't quite right in the cold, desolate place. Shikamaru's mind whirled with suspicions about the nature of the device. 'So, if it affects normal people along with ninja like ourselves, then we really do have to be careful about how we approach this.'

Looking up and returning to the present conversation, Shikamaru caught the end of the captain's sentence. "-guys I was taking back weren't looking too good. If I were you, I wouldn't stick around that ancient thing for too long. Who knows what it could do." Shikamaru turned to Naruto, who looked unnerved, with drawn brows and a slight frown. Shikamaru nudged the blonde's arm, getting his attention. He gave his partner a reassuring nod, and received a strained smile in return. 'Kami, this is going to be a drag.'

Shikamaru looked outside of the captain's window, eyeing the horizon filled with a vast greyness, some dark spots signalling storms would be coming in soon. His mood now soured, he listened to the rest of the captain's speech. Making off the topic of the dig site, John started talking enthusiastically about all his adventures on the sea, telling stories from people charted back and forth on the ship. He continued his banter for a little while, then fell silent once he realized that his tenants weren't really listening to him anymore.

He gave a nervous chuckle, and said, "Ahh, I'm sorry. I get a little carried away sometimes with my stories. I'll just leave you two to your work now." He gave the two a smile, and went to return to his work. Jamie turned to them, saying they could probably make their way back to their room by themselves, and Shikamaru agreed, as it wasn't too terribly big of a ship. He grasped Naruto's arm beside him and guided him through the small hatch style door and down the metal stairs.

Naruto was quiet, which wasn't exactly normal for him. The brunette felt concerned, but didn't press the blonde on the subject until they would be back in the privacy of their room.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru let Naruto open the room door, then followed the blonde who sat down on his bed on the other side of the room. Shikamaru sat down as well, making the bed creak slightly from the combined weight of the two.<p>

Naruto spoke up then, hands in his lap and head bowed in concentration. "Shikamaru." He started, "If what that guy said is true, that means that that thing really does mess with our chakra." The blonde looked up at Shikamaru sitting beside him. "You don't think that... Kyuubi will come out, do you?"

The brunette squinted his eyes in thought. 'We really don't know what to expect from the mission briefing and word of mouth at this point. All we know is that it has an influence on chakra, and that it has some bad side effects. Not much to go on, really. Damn.' He sighed, 'We really are flying blind in here. Or at least poorly informed.' He looked back to Naruto, who was still waiting for an answer.

"I don't know, Naruto. There's too many unknowns in this. Limited information will only get us so far." The blonde nodded, clenching his fists, then letting them unfurl.

"So..." Naruto paused, "What happens if I do go all nine-tails on you and the people around me?"

"We'll try not to let it happen. Plus, I have my Shadow Possession to stop you if that does happen. And that's an 'if'." He explained. 'But, that's provided I can talk him down. If he gets too aggressive, we're in trouble.' The shadow-nin frowned briefly, 'This is such-'

"Such a drag?" Naruto said, interrupting his thoughts. "I can see the expressions on your face to know what you're thinking. He finished, giving Shikamaru a mocking glare.

Shikamaru gave a large sigh. They both knew this was going to be troublesome, and they had no choice but to deal with it.

* * *

><p>It was a long week, with storms, ice floes, and freezing weather. Just about everyone on the ship was miserable, except the captain, who seemed to be taking things in stride.<p>

"Woooooo!" John bellowed from his cabin, cheering with a fist raised in the air. "We're almost there! Land ho!" Several of the crew rolled their eyes including John's younger brother Jamie.

It was five in the morning, with blue skies peeking through the pale cloud cover above the crew. Bitter cold winds flew all around them, blowing stray snowflakes through the air. Some landed in Shikamaru's hair, which Naruto poked fun at. Naruto was promptly given a glare, which made the blonde flinch, but grin, as it was still funny as hell. The brunette shook his hair in vain, as the snowflakes stuck in place. A groan filled the air, as said ninja gave up with his hair.

The port now in sight, the two ninjas went to their room to pack up their things. They didn't have much to begin with, so packing up was a breeze. Now donning their winter wear, complete with matching red hooded parkas, furred hats, thermal pants and long-sleeved shirts, insulated leggings, and snow boots. For the layer above their thermal shirts, Naruto picked an orange sweater, and Shikamaru a green one. _'Of course Naruto would pick orange.' _The lazy nin thought, not really caring what shirt he got, so long as it kept him warm in the below freezing temperatures.

The ship gave a shudder, making metallic shrieks every few seconds or so, indicating that they were now docking into port. Naruto lost his balance from one of the bumps from the ship, and grabbed Shikamaru for support. Shikamaru caught the blonde, and said blonde let go once the ship stopped rocking from reaching its destination.

A cloud of white heading towards them caught their eyes, and were told to hurry up, else they be left behind. So, hurry up they did, as they sprinted towards the other stationary winterized vehicles. Just as the vehicle coming from the research station came to a halt, skidding slightly on the icy surface, Naruto and Shikamaru got there as well. A blonde woman jumped out of the truck once it was in park, and quickly looked them over.

"Ano...who are you?" Naruto asked, confusion coming over his features. The woman hummed, then barked out, "No time! Get in the truck. We've got a job to do." With that, the petite woman jumped back into the truck, slamming the door, getting the two shinobi to follow suit. Barely buckled in, the vehicle roared to life, and they were on their way to the "most troublesome place in the world," according to Shikamaru.

The bright scenery passed them by, along with other trucks every few minutes or so. The silence was a little uncomfortable, with Naruto catching Shikamaru's eyes every minute or so. The pineapple-haired adult would just give the blonde an exasperated stare and turn back towards the window. The speedy driver broke the silence by cranking up a knob on the dashboard of the vehicle they were in. Warm, thawing air passed through the vents.

The woman driving then spoke up. "My name's June Terra. Head researcher of this site you two were hired to investigate." Her green eyes locked onto the two ninja's through the rear-view mirror. She continued, looking back to the road and correcting her course with a slight tilt of the steering wheel. "Several others from your..." she paused to search for the right words, "_world, _had gone before you, complaining of the conditions here, and of the proximity of the device we are working with." She looked back to them, "This won't be a problem, right?" She said, with a slight glare.

* * *

><p>The wind whipped through the barren wasteland around them, ever reminding of the unforgiving environment surrounding them. The two nin approached their destination, the crumbled entrance to the so-called device they were investigating. Hexagonal rock features were seen scattered about the entrance, intertwining with the rubble scattered about. The area had been cleared slightly, giving way to a hallway descending into the earth. Black, glassy-surfaced stairs led the way into the dig site. The entrance was around ten feet in height, by eight feet in width.<p>

Guards were posted at the opening, nodding at the two's guide, letting the group through to the interior structure. Their guide then procured a couple of flashlights from a chest against the wall of the stairway about twenty feet in. The chest creaked in protest, the noise echoing through the space. Naruto and Shikamaru tensed, checking for signs of danger. A few seconds passed, and they relaxed. Their guide looked at them a little strangely, then handed the two flashlights to illuminate the way.

"We have lights in the chambers. We didn't have enough to light the way down." He narrated, walking a little further down the steps before lighting his own flashlight. The other two followed suit, the beams catching the ebony structure as they descended into the ruins. Snow lined the edges of the path down into the entrance chamber.

The tunnel of stairs lead into a large hall, made of the same obsidian stone lining the steps. Naruto let out a gasp of amazement, and Shikamaru couldn't help but gaze upon the hall as well. Flames licked hungrily at torches lit along the walls, giving off a warm radiance throughout the frigid room.

Slits in the walls drew the lazy-nin's attention. He traced the walls carefully, noticing the light blue veins of material churning and flowing slowly through and across the cracks. He approached the closest wall on the left as Naruto trailed behind him. Shikamaru first observed closer, seeing that the substance in the cracks of rock were of different shades than he had seen before. This particular section had hints of crimson threaded throughout the blue material as well. He reached out to touch the wall, and jumped slightly as a voice interrupted the curious silence.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you. Those cracks in the walls are filled with chakra." Shikamaru and the blonde turned around towards the voice further into the hall inside an entrance to another room. Head researcher June Terra stood before them, hand on her hip. She then continued, "You touch those, and you'll be a goner." June made a disapproving click with her mouth, and gestured towards the two. " Come on. I'll show you guys around so that you know where you're going." She pivoted on fur-clad boots, and shortly after, Shikamaru and Naruto followed suit.

Snow lined the edges of the hall, gradually lessening the more the group ventured into the underground civilization. The more the snow dissipated, the more chakra veins would appear throughout the walls and ceiling. Some cracks were on the floor, but were easy enough to spot that it was a simple task to avoid them.


End file.
